Letters and Crosses
by Stranger-jkl
Summary: The year? 1917. The place? Ypres. The setting? The Great War. Follow a Canadian, as he tries to survive in the trenches. Along the way, he'll meet a Polish man who uses a shovel instead of a bayonet, a Canadian pilot who is partly blind in one eye, a American lieutenant and his English right hand man, and a German orphan, and the Prussian soldier who's taking care of him.
1. Chapter 1

_Dearest Sister Jacqueline,_

 _How's Henry doing? Lucky guy, must be thankful for his blindness, eh? I've got to go soon, but I'll miss you. Ah, sorry, my thoughts drifted, there's another Canadian here, name of Matthew Williams, blond hair, purple eyes, probably six feet high, kinda quiet, nice guy, hope I see him soon. Just. Not as a casualty. This war is just a power struggle, I hate it. I've got to go soon, the train is leaving, tell my niece I love her._

 _Yours truely,_

 _Stephen Matterson_

 **A/N: Welcome to my new project!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Jacqueline,_

 _I met the Canadian I told you about, he had a piece of shrapnel stuck near his eye, probably permanently screwed over his vision, he was lucky I was there, else he would've bleed out. On a happier note, I met with a American Lieutenant today, name of Jones, said what I did saved his brother's life, nice guy. I also met a Polish man today, Feliks, nicknamed 'the Painless Pole' cause he was near a exploding grenade, and remained, mostly unscathed, and has taken on several Germans with a shovel! Guy's also a drinker, or, at least, I think so, he set up a small liquor shop, to boost morale he says, Lieutenant Kirkland says that that won't help if every 'fucking Frenchie and Yankee is drunk off their asses and the Germans attack.' Kirkland is also the resident priest here, and holds a grudge against Jones, for some reason._

 _Anyways, I got to go soon, the wounded need me._

 _Your soldier, medic, and brother,_

 _Stephen Matterson_


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Jacqueline,_

 _Kirkland is dead, and Jones has lost the will to fight. Kirkland was hit by a rifle round, straight to the heart, piercing through his cross pedant, and killing him instantly. I hope whoever is Up There takes good care of Kirkland. I also met a German and his Prussian brother, Ludwig and Gilbert, respectively, Ludwig was shot through his arm, and needed a couple of stitches to close the small hole. Ludwig is barley sixteen, and Gilbert is around seventeen, Jacqueline, they are kids! Fighting other kids! Ah, well, Ludwig is fine, but Gilbert is shaken up, I can tell, he's scare that he could have lost his brother. As a tribute to Kirkland, Feliks prepared all the British and Canadians Burtons, as a nod to Kirkland's like of the drink, and to honor a tradition in the trenches, of sorts. When a dead British man is mentioned, he is mentioned as 'going for a Burton' and the mourners are 'raising a Burton'. So, up went the glasses, even one from Jones! I guess the grudge didn't really matter, I don't know, Jones seems sad, I hope he gets better._

 _Raising a Burton in memory of you,_

 _Stephen Matterson_

 **A/N: The term I was referring to, was 'Went for a Burton ' as, Burtons was most of the alcohol in the British trenchs, and a glass was raised every time a British soldier died. I hope I got this chapter right, if not, then tell me in a review or a PM.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Dearest Sister,_

 _The trenches are under attack! I am afraid I am needed, I am sorry. If I don't live through the night, then, ah, well, who cares? We will burn that bridge when we come to it._

 _Stephen J._

 _Jacqueline Matterson,_

 _Private Stephen Matterson of the 407th Medical Corps, has been captured and imprisoned by the enemy. We hope you receive news from him soon._

 _General Henry Wilkinson_

 _Dear Sister,_

 _I assume you got a letter, from General Wilkinson. I met a Russian priest here, Ivan Braginski, he's a bit cold, but, I like him. Attached is my will, if I ever die, at any point._

 _Stephen_

 _I, Stephen Matterson, of sound mind and body, declare this to be my last will and testament._

 _To Matthew Williams, I leave a single picture of him and his plane, to remember me by._

 _To Alfred Jones, I leave Arthur Kirkland's glasses and his cross pendant, to remember a great man._

 _To Feliks, I leave a dollar, guess you won that bet, eh?_

 _To Ivan Braginski, I leave twenty dollars,for the orphanage, and a book on magic, I hope your studies go well._

 _This concludes the last will and testament of Stephen Matterson..._


	5. The End or History Is Written By Victors

_11th of September, 1918..._

 _Dear sister,_

 _It has been one whole year since I was captured. One year, in which I got no letters from you. Why? Did you think I had passed? No matter, I hear the war is over. IT'S OVER SISTER, I AM FREE! I miss you, and I will get home, I promise. How's it like, at home? Is it peaceful and calm, or is it chaotic, and never a moments rest? Is it so quiet, you can hear all the way to England, or is it so loud, you can't hear, even if the person speaking is next to you? Ah well, I'm coming home. I wonder where Williams, Jones, and Braginski are and what they're going to do when they get home? Ah well, I plan to home by Christmas, but, who knows? Happy birthday Jacqueline, sorry I wasn't there for it... I'll be home soon..._

 _Stephen Jason Matterson_


End file.
